| If you want to know who's getting those ARRA | | | | support they need as they take up this powerful |
| dollars, here's the list. | | | | technology. |
| We are going to need a lot more health | | | | In the meantime, the DOL is giving away more |
| information technology (HIT) workers if the feds | | | | than $225 million grants to institutions to train |
| are going to get providers anywhere near their | | | | 15,000 workers for careers in the healthcare, IT |
| ambitious HIT implementation goals. That's the | | | | and other high-growth industries. The next couple |
| reason the Department of Health & Human | | | | of years will witness about 10,000 job openings |
| Services and Department of Labor are shelling out | | | | for nurses, pharmaceutical workers and IT |
| big bucks to train the next wave of 'meaningful | | | | technicians. The grant recipients will establish 55 |
| users'. | | | | separate training programs in 30 states with the |
| The Department of Health and Human Services | | | | same motive. Community colleges and local |
| (DHHS) announced recently that the government | | | | education providers will lead the trainings, while |
| has extended about $1 in ARRA grants to further | | | | DOL's One-Stop-Career Centers will watch over |
| develop HIT, skills-building and education in the | | | | the management of job services. |
| healthcare sector. | | | | The California Health and Human Services Agency |
| More than 100,000 hospitals and primary care | | | | ranks as the top health information exchange |
| physicians will stand to gain from the Recovery | | | | (HIE) awardee, walking away with $38.8 million in |
| Act grant, which will make health information | | | | grants. In the meantime, Ohio Health Information |
| technology widely available by 2014. The grant will | | | | Partnership bags the biggest pie of the Regional |
| also give a boost to the healthcare workforce, | | | | Extension Center (REC) awards with $28.5 million. |
| including nursing, pharmacy, technology, and IT | | | | Other organizations which are likely to benefit |
| through training and skills building. | | | | from the funds include New York eHealth |
| According to DHHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, | | | | Collaborative Inc (HIE, $22.4m); Ohio Health |
| "These grant awards, the first of their kind, will | | | | Information Partnership LLC (HIE, $14.9m); New |
| help develop our electronic infrastructure and give | | | | York eHealth Collaborative (REC, $26.5m); and |
| doctors and other health care providers the | | | | Fund for Public Health New York (REC, $21.8m). |